Slogans Away! It Is To Be 'Jobs, Jobs And Jobs' For Labor In 2017

Forget 'jobs and growth'. Bill Shorten puts out a new year wish list, for just jobs.

Australian Labor Party opposition leader Bill Shorten speaks at his election night party in Melbourne, July 2, 2016 on Australia's federal election day. REUTERS/Jason Reed

CANBERRA – Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is setting Labor's 2017 agenda on a clear protectionist drive for local jobs just ahead of the start of the parliamentary year, insisting Australians "cannot allow our country to become an unskilled enclave in a modernising Asia."

And Shorten states he will take this on by resubmitting Labor's election plan to talk to state governments and major contractors to get more apprentices onto federally funded infrastructure and defence projects.

In 2017, my first focus will be jobs. We should be building Australian first, buying Australian first & employing Australian first.

"I want one in every ten jobs, on every single priority infrastructure project, to go to an Australian apprentice," the Labor Leader will tell the National Press Club (NPC) Tuesday.

"In the context of the last election - that meant at least 2,600 apprenticeship places."

In excerpts of a speech to be given to the lunchtime crowd of the NPC, seen by The Huffington Post Australia, Shorten is expected to say, "In 2017, my team and I have three major economic priorities: jobs, jobs and jobs".

While, by most appearances, this could appear a new slogan, the Labor Leader insists it is not. Instead, he will tell the Canberra crowd it is Labor's "reason for being".

It's a TPP position that's led Turnbull to belittle the opposition leader as "gutless" and a "protectionist" cum lately, insinuating a hollow follow of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, adding he thought that former Labor Prime Minister's "Hawke and Keating would be ashamed, absolutely ashamed of that type of populism."

But Shorten has doubled-down, offering a repackaged Labor plan to oppose the widespread use of skilled migration visas and instead, revitalise TAFEs as high-quality job centres and "train and re-train Australians who are looking for jobs."

"It's become too easy to import skills – rather than train our own people," Shorten will say.

"We cannot allow our country to become an unskilled enclave in a modernising Asia."

The Federal Labor Leader is promising to zero in on "Skills, Training and Apprenticeships" in 2017.

He wants better linkages between high schools, TAFE and university to help people who want to learn a trade at school and assist apprentices work on-site while learning.

But it is also a competition with low cost Asian neighbors that Labor wants to take to up.

"Winning in Asia on our terms -- as a high-skill, fair-wage nation -- means putting vocational education back at the centre of our system," Shorten will say.

Fairfax MediaBill Shorten sporting one of the offending high vis vests.

The Opposition Leader decries rorting institutions which have "been allowed to chase profits and dud students – at taxpayer expense."

"And public TAFE has been neglected and disrespected for too long," he will say.

Shorten is concerned about dropping trade apprentice commencements and reported skill-shortages in trades occupations. He promises a Shorten Labor Government would work with state governments and major contractors to ensure one in every ten jobs, on every single priority project, will go to an Australian apprentice.

"Our priority should be economic reforms that actually deliver jobs – not fantasy trade deals," he will tell the National Press Club.

The Prime Minister will take his turn to outline his plans for 2017 on Wednesday.